


New Beginnings

by Babamacska



Series: A Couple of Idiots [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Big Gay Love Story, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Gay, Idiots in Love, M/M, but hes cute, he's a hot mess, poor Zoro, real gay, zolu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 07:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18244997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babamacska/pseuds/Babamacska
Summary: “W-what was that?” He asks, voice unsure and barely a whisper, but Luffy hears him and meets his gaze. His face is all scrunched up in confusion.“A kiss.” He had that tone of voice again that insinuated Zoro wasn’t the brightest.“Uh,” maybe he wasn’t, “yeah. Why?”





	New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I just love them so much, and wasn't sleeping. My hand slipped. (Thinking of making it a multi chapter let me know what you think)

Unexpected.

That was the only word that Zoro could find for the entire situation. It was just unexpected. Not necessarily bad, but he couldn’t say it was good either.  Just a few days ago he had been minding his own business, passing through, as he typically did. Saved that little girl, and was now here, tied to a pole.

In the direct sun. It was hot. So, so hot.

He didn’t have any water, he hadn’t for a while. No food either. Plus, that shitty, marine’s kid, would come by sometimes and taunt him.

_Look at the great Pirate Hunter now._

_It’s a bit hot out don’t you think, I’ll just retire inside for now and have a nice, cool drink._

_This should teach you to mess with the marines again._

Zoro had to admit that last one had gotten to him, because honestly there was no way that punk was a marine, just related to one.

It didn’t matter though, this was just an obstacle. He would do his time and then be on his way again. He’d catch his next bounty, eat, sleep, move on, and repeat. He’s been through a lot of tough times out on the road over the past few years. Hell, he’s been through worse times as a kid. This was nothing. This was easy.

Except, his stomach hurt from hunger, his skin was burning in the sun too long, his lips were dry and cracking, and he couldn’t quite feel his arms anymore.

He was uncomfortable at best and fucking miserable at worst.  He spent most of his time trying to meditate to keep his mind off the aches. When that stopped working he started to think of different ways to beat that blond guy up. They got increasingly violent, but it made him feel better.

He missed his swords. He missed their weight and pull at his side. He missed seeing them there when he looked down. He didn’t get why he couldn’t have kept them. He was tied up, there wasn’t anyway he would have been able to use them. Probably just to piss him off. If anything happened to them while he was stuck here, there would be blood to pay. It’s been a long time since he’d been without Wado Ichimonji at his side.

A few days later he’s starting to get light headed regularly, and he even swore he had seen Kuina a couple times standing in front of him, just talking to him. He talked to her too a couple times. He stopped when some of the marines gave him weird looks and the blonde punk called him a freak. Not that he cared what he thought of him, he could care less, but he really shouldn’t be talking to people who aren’t there. It’s not a good habit. When he looks up again she’s there again.

But it’s not her. Kuina never wore such a strikingly red shirt and a straw hat.

It’s that kid who had been watching him over the wall. He’s talking to him, and Zoro is pretty sure he _is_ real, so he talks back. He’s asking him if he’s strong and it is so ridiculous, this guy is so ridiculous, that he starts to think he’s talking to his imagination again. He’s really hungry though, and he knows the guy is real because he scrapes the food from the dirt at his feet and feeds it to him. It’s real. The guy is real. He wonders briefly if it’s cheating that he’s eating but doesn’t care because he’s only got ten days left. He can make it.

He asks the guy in the hat to thank the little girl for him.  Rika, he remembers. She’s kind, and feistier then he originally gave her credit for.

He’s alone again and he loses track of time until suddenly, hat kid is back.

He must be actually imagining it this time because now he’s spewing nonsense about joining his pirate crew, an execution, and getting his swords.

He hates that he’s wasted so much time on this stupid pole. He hates how useless he feels right now. He hates that he doesn’t have his swords to comfort him. There are a lot of different things going on, a lot of emotions and thoughts, a lot of people running around. He’s yelling at that kid who’s running off to get his swords, and now there’s a another one, at his side trying to undo the ropes. He’s not made much progress, but he’s determined. He’s also spewing nonsense, about being a marine and justice and what not.

He thinks he’s going to die, because that’s a lot of guns pointed at them. He waits for the pain, but it never comes. That kid in the hat has jumped in front of them. Shielded them. He has Zoro’s swords strapped to his back. He only focuses on the fact that this kids just been shot a whole bunch of times but he’s not dead.

He’s made of rubber. ‘cause Devil Fruits are real apparently. His life has gotten really weird, really, really, fast, he notes. Then he’s free and he’s grabbed up his swords and fighting along side this kid, who is now his captain.

It’s a little funny he thinks, as he starts to pass out.

Zoro the Pirate Hunter becoming Zoro the Pirate.

He likes it better. He never called himself the Pirate Hunter, that was a name that was given to him by people he didn’t know. It struck fear into the hearts of many people, and he’s even been called a demon. Bounty hunting wasn’t something he had set out to do or a choice he made. It was something he did to survive. But this was his choice, becoming a pirate, and he liked that.

Okay maybe it hadn’t been completely his choice, there had definitely been blackmail on the straw-hat guy’s part, because dying was not an option. He didn’t have to have his back and save him though, so he’s going to count it as _his_ choice.

 

* * *

 

 

When he wakes up, the first thing he does is eat. He eats a lot, and then some more. The guys name is Luffy.

No.

His captain’s name is Luffy.

Luffy eats more then he does and he’s kind of impressed. He’s impressed by a lot actually, because Luffy is strong and he doesn’t look it. He also has big dreams, he wants to be the king of the pirates, which is just fine with Zoro because he’s got big dreams too. Luffy also accepts that if he ever gets in his way he’ll be cut down, and he does it with a smile.

Zoro feels his own smile starting. People don’t usually look and talk at him the way Luffy is looking and talking at him. He’s just beaming. Happy to have such an ambitious and strong-willed person on his crew. Usually people, mock him, or cower around him, but Luffy is completely unfazed, and he decides it’s a nice change of pace. He starts to think he hit the jackpot and is excited to meet the rest of the crew and see what their like, until he learns he is the crew.

Just him.

Him and Luffy.

Awesome.

Once he sees the boat he can’t stop from laughing and Luffy just keeps beaming.

They get chased out of town and they leave Koby behind to join the marines.

It’s a small boat, but there’s enough room so that they can spread out and have their own space. That doesn’t mean anything though because Luffy practically sticks to his side and talks his ear off. He has way more energy then Zoro knows what to do with. He fumbles around with Wado’s hilt and tries to have a normal conversation. It’s been a while since he’s been around other people though. So he’s awkward as hell, and he grips at Wado tighter. Luffy either doesn’t care or notice because he keeps on going. He gets a little handsy too. Running his hands through Zoro’s hair and tugging his earrings, commenting on how cool he is. He pokes his biceps and midsection. Making silly comments.

_‘Wow! Zoro’s so strong!’_

He is. He’s worked hard for it, and any other day he’d be happy at the comments and the attention, but he’s so tired, and the past couple days have been a whirlwind.

No one has touched him as much as Luffy has in years. He can’t remember. Johnny and Yosaku never touched him this much. He thinks maybe Koshiro sensei, but never this much either. That was mostly pats on the head and back for a job well done, fixing his positioning, and bandaging his bumps and bruises. Casual touches. Luffy was not casually touching him, his hands where everywhere. Once he was thoroughly overwhelmed he pushed the rubber teen off him and to the other end of the boat. Politely telling him to fuck off and let him sleep.

He gets a few hours. It’s not enough. Luffy is still on the other end of the boat leaned back and looking at the sky. Zoro looks up but doesn’t see anything of interest, just a few lazy clouds. When he looks back Luffy is looking at him. Smiling again. He smiles so much Zoro wonders if his face ever hurts. His face hurts just thinking about it.

“What?”

“Nothin’” Luffy crawls over to Zoro and plops his head in Zoro’s lap, looking up at him. He startles a little and has to force himself not to hit or shove his brand-new captain. That would probably be a bad start. They’ve only been sailing for maybe five hours, and he’s starting to think that he made the wrong choice and he should have chosen death, because it’s easier then what ever was currently happening. Luffy flops around a little until he ‘s facing Zoro’s stomach and has his arms wrapped firmly around the swordsman. It takes two seconds for Zoro to hear soft snoring and he smacks himself in the face.

This kid was going to be the death of him, he knew it.

He looked Luffy over trying to take in as much detail as he could. He had a little scar below his eye, they only one Zoro had seen. It looked old. He briefly wondered why he didn’t have more, because it was clear he was always getting into trouble. Being made of rubber had it’s perks he guessed. Zoro had his own collection of faded scars all over his body, from years of sword fights, and even some training accidents. He hesitantly brushes some hair out of Luffy’s face and marvels at how soft it feels in his fingers, and how odd his skin feels. He’s reminded that Luffy’s rubber. It’s not an unpleasant feeling, just different from what he knows.

He’s thin and lanky but has a nice layer of muscle too. His sandals, shorts and red vest make Zoro scoff. It doesn’t seem very pirate-y. In fact, Luffy doesn’t really strike him as a pirate, in looks or attitude, but he guesses it doesn’t really matter because he’s committed to it. And now he’s committed Zoro to it.

The straw hat on his head is skewed atop his head all funny from being laid down and squirming in Zoro’s lap. It’s a little worn and clearly loved. He’s learned it’s very important. He looks to the white sword at his side and bites his lip, looking back down.

What would Kuina think about him becoming a pirate? Would she have cared? Thought it was dishonorable? Probably not given the circumstances. She would laugh at his predicament most likely. He’d never liked being touched much as a kid either and she always loved to ruffle his hair after a good match or when she loved to point out how short he was. Yeah, she would laugh at him. She’d think this was all hilarious. It didn’t matter though, as long as he became the best, she would be proud of him.

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours later a bird carries Luffy off and he’s scrambling to follow it. He finds him locked in a cage with some ginger haired girl and a bunch of clowns pointing a canon at him. He saves the girl and gets stabbed. The pain hits him first and then a couple different things run through his mind at that moment. He should really stop saving girls in danger because it just leads to bad things for him. The knife that’s stabbed him is held in a dismembered floating hand. And Luffy is screaming, worried for him. He’s slightly taken back by the fierceness in his voice as he calls the now whole-again clown a coward for stabbing him in the back. He feels a light flutter in his stomach but ignores it in favor of the steadily bleeding wound.

He flips the canon and the girl lights it. He can’t get Luffy out of the cage, so he takes the whole thing. It’s heavy and it’s really not helping the whole stab wound situation, but he learns the girl is their new navigator, so he doesn’t have to worry about her, she follows them. The day gets even worse because a dog eats the key to the cage. Luffy gets out anyways.

Luffy doesn’t think he should fight when he’s hurt but he back’s off when Zoro tells him to and he feels a flutter again. Based on the timing of it he chalks it down to being something related to this stab wound. He’s starting to think it may have done some real internal damage, but he can’t focus on that because he has to crush this guy into the ground. Buggy is an asshole who cheats, so he’s not sure why he’s surprised by the fact his crewman also fights dirty and kicks him in his side. It rips open the wound and causes fresh blood to soak through the bandages. He gets kicked again and it knocks the wind out of him. He lets the acrobat stab him, because he has to much damn pride, and then he cuts him down.

HA! Petty thieves, what was that guy thinking.

 “We’re Pirates” He corrects.

 

* * *

 

 

Luffy drags him off barely conscious. Nami’s still following so he assumes she really has joined as their navigator. That’s good.

Once they scare off the last three pirates they settle in their boats, two now. It’s great because Zoro might actually jump in the ocean and swim the rest of the journey if he has to share their small boat with another person. There just isn’t enough room, and he needs his space.

He doesn’t get it right away because Nami and Luffy badger him until he allows them to take care of his bleeding side. They’re gentle, well Nami is, and it doesn’t take too long. She tells him to drink lots of water and eat something, so he doesn’t pass out and hops back onto her own boat. She chucks an apple at his head and he catches it, making quick work of the fruit. He settles down and closes his eyes, He listens to Nami and Luffy talk between themselves. Luffy doesn’t seem to bother her as much as he had Zoro and he wonders why only he had to suffer Luffy’s incessant personality. He lets their voices and the rock of the boat lull him to sleep.

When he wakes up it’s dark. His swords are laid next to him and on his other side Luffy has worked his way under his arm and rested his head on his shoulder. He’s drooling on him. This is now the second time he’s fallen asleep on the swordsman. He wakes up when Zoro tries to shift into a more comfortable spot.

“Hey you’re up!” He winces at the volume of his voice and puts a hand over Luffy’s mouth. He didn’t want to wake up Nami.

“Yeah,” he finally finds the perfect position that lessens the throbbing in his side, “and you’re sleeping on me again.”

“Zoro’s comfy.” He snorts because Luffy says it with a tone of voice like he’s an idiot and _where else would he sleep._ “You were asleep for a long time.” He chirps with a smile, looking down at him from where he’s now sat by his legs. His hat is fixed he notices, Nami must have done it. It hangs on his shoulders by a string and the breeze makes the dark hair flutter around his face.

“Um, yeah. I got stabbed, if you hadn’t noticed. I gotta rest.” He quirks an eye brow. Was he stupid?

“I noticed.” His eyes drifted down to his side, where blood still stained the shirt and haramaki he wore, but it’s old. They did a good job patching him up. “Did it hurt?”

“Nope!” He offers a smirk and gets one back in return because Luffy was there and heard his pain. He knew but he was indulging him anyways.

“Liar, liar.” Apparently, he wasn’t indulging him that much. He rolled his eyes and Luffy laughed. He had to shush him again, as he leaned up on his elbows to peak over the edge of the boat, but their new crew mate hasn’t woken up.

“You gotta be quieter, you’ll wake her up.”

“Sorry.” He wasn’t.

He lays back down with his arms tucked behind his head. He’s hoping to fall back asleep and Luffy will magically learn what personal space is and move over to the other side of the boat to sleep for the rest of the night.

Instead he feels Luffy moving next to him and then over him. He freezes completely when he feels the pressure of Luffy’s lips on his. His eyes stay closed and he doesn’t move, doesn’t even breath. Luffy presses in a little harder and then he’s gone. He settles back into the swordsman’s side, slinging an arm around his torso being careful of his bandages. He nuzzles into Zoro’s shoulder and hums, content.  

Zoro finally lets out the breath he’d been holding and opens his eyes, they flick to Luffy’s face and he feels the flutter in his stomach.

 _Oh. It’s not from the blood loss, it’s Luffy._ He chases the thought away.

“W-what was that?” He asks, voice unsure and barely a whisper, but Luffy hears him and meets his gaze. His face is all scrunched up in confusion.

“A kiss.” He had that tone of voice again that insinuated Zoro wasn’t the brightest.

“Uh,” maybe he wasn’t, “yeah. Why?”  

“Why what?”

“Why’d you kiss me?” He could feel his face heat up and Luffy offered him a toothy grin. They were still snuggled up together on the bottom of the boat.

“’Cause I like you!” Blunt. He’s not sure what he was expecting. Why else would you kiss someone? Zoro feels his face get hotter and he’s pretty sure it’s bright red now. He hopes it blows up, so he doesn’t have to deal with this right now, or ever. They stared at each other for a couple seconds, maybe minutes, he’s not too sure. Luffy’s eyes seem like their piercing into him. Into his very soul, and he’s not sure how he feels about that.

“Why?” He finally blurted. Ugh. He sounded like a broken record now. A stupid broken record. Luffy gave him a gentle smile and shrugged, leaning back down to his spot on Zoro’s shoulder.

“Just do.” It’s not really an answer, and it doesn’t hold much conviction, but maybe it’s just that simple for his captain.

His head thumps back into the bottom of the boat and the fluttering hasn’t let up. He worries at his lip.

 _Shit_.

That’s a bad sign. He lifts his head again to get a look at Luffy. He looks peaceful, and calm, which is the biggest joke Zoro’s ever heard because he’s just single handedly turned Zoro’s life into chaos.  He curls his arm around Luffy’s back, cautiously, and when nothing happens he lays his head back again, looking to the sky. It’s nice and clear out. He can see the stars and feel the heat from Luffy’s body seep into him, and his breath hot on his neck.

“Okay,” he decides, but Luffy’s asleep now and can’t hear him, so he’s not talking to anyone except himself, “okay.”


End file.
